


Ready as Sisters

by NorthwesternInsanity



Category: Heart (Band), Music RPF
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, sister team
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-04
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-07 00:21:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15897108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorthwesternInsanity/pseuds/NorthwesternInsanity
Summary: Nancy rescues her sister from an oncoming panic attack before a show. Set approximately around 1990 during the Brigade tour.





	Ready as Sisters

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope someday these sisters settle their feud and get back on the road with Heart...

Waiting in the wings behind the stage in the ready room, I stand, knowing in five minutes I'll take the stage with my sister. I am ready, as usual. She is, physically, despite the criticism of others. Mentally and emotionally, she may or may not be.

There it is happening again. I can see it a mile away, and all to clearly when just mere feet away.

Standing not only still, but too still. Eyes glazed over, looking somewhere far into the distance. Chest rising and falling too quickly, and not deeply enough. Hands shaking down by her sides -barely visible out from under her long, loose, flared sleeves that only show her fingertips, and only noticeable to someone as close as a sister.

It's five minutes to show time. The act before us is finishing, saying their goodnights to the crowd. Five minutes to bring things together and rock them out no matter how we might have changed.

Lifting my hands off the golden ovation hung around my shoulders, I walk over to my sister. I push the guitar so it hangs at my side and out of the way, before getting right up to her -our chests touching as they would in a hug, but instead, I put my hands on her shoulders and speak in a tone just above a whisper, drawing it out slowly:

"Hiiiiii..."

And I lean forward and touch my nose to hers briefly, provoking a flinch and a change in the direction of her eyes as I pull back. 

Yes, that's what we need. I need for her to come back, and she needs me to help her come back from where she's been engulfed within her subconscious as it swirls her through the taunting of our managers and producers, and of the press -all of which drown out the cheers of the true fans. It's an unusual way of breaking one out of a panic attack, but it works.

"Hi..." I continue. "Hey, come back. Come here, come here -I'm here, you're with me, we're here."

And just like that, the tension in my sister's shoulders relaxes, and she slumps forward to embrace me. And that's another thing that will never change. What it feels like inside to hug my sister who has been there for me all along, and knowing I'm here for her too. Fighting our battles together with our love. It may be different physically -but not the same in meaning.

And she asks quietly:

"What are they going to say tonight?"

And I whisper back:

"Ignore the managers. All those people out there are here because they love your voice. And there is no other person in rock and roll with a voice like yours. No one."

I give her my hand, and she gives it a tight squeeze before we pull apart as we get our signal to go.

Then we step out onstage.

She takes the microphone -nervously at first, but perks up at the first cheers.

And we bring the house down together.


End file.
